UA and Stark State announce dual enrollment

By Katie Byard Akron Beacon Journal GateHouse Media Ohio

Friday

Oct 12, 2018 at 10:09 PM

Stark State College students now can jointly enroll at the University of Akron.

The two institutions Friday morning revealed what officials called a pioneering dual enrollment agreement, allowing students at Stark State access to UA academic advisors, libraries, career services and more.

The new program — dubbed Direct Connect — "is a guided pathway from a Stark State associate degree to a University of Akron (bachelor’s) degree," Stark State president Para Jones said at a gathering at the new Stark State College Akron campus along state Route 8 and within walking distance of the UA campus.

Stark State students "will be able to start working with admission counselors, faculty advisors at the University of Akron" while also having access to university facilities, such as UA’s Recreation Center and computer labs. Students at any Stark State facility can opt for Direct Connect, she said.

Stark State, with a main campus in Jackson Township, offers associates degrees, while UA offers associate, bachelor’s and graduate degrees. Stark State also has Satellite Centers in Barberton, Alliance and downtown Canton.

A student at Stark State could get a two-year degree in criminal justice studies and go on to get a four-year degree in criminology and criminal justice at UA, for example, UA interim president John Green said in an interview after Friday morning’s "signing event." Students with two year-degrees could use their credentials to get a job to pay for their bachelor’s, he noted.

While officials Friday didn’t focus on cost-savings for students, Stark State touts its affordability. A giant video sign on the new campus has sometimes declared "Spend Less."

The total per-semester cost for 16 credit hours at Stark State is $2,713.60. That’s the lowest tuition in the region.

UA’s $50 application fee is waived for Direct Connect students.

Education boosting region

Friday’s event was punctuated with talk of Direct Connect as an economic development tool and a way to address the area’s skills gap. Among the speakers was Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan and Steve Millard, the new CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber, who praised the partnership between the two schools as being the kind of "forward thinking and collaborative leadership" needed to move the region forward.

"We are actively pursuing a path of widening the educational pipeline in Akron," UA’s Green told those gathered.

"We need to encourage young people — and adult workers — not only to update their skill sets, but to think strategically about their careers," said Green, wearing a yellow tie dotted with blue Zippy kangaroos. Zippy is UA’s mascot.

UA also is working with another part of the education pipeline — high schools — Green noted. Last month, the university formalized a partnership with Akron Public Schools involving Ellet high school and Akron Early College and the NIHF STEM High School, which already had relationships with the university.

Jones said Direct Connect "has as much to do with business and the economic development of the our region as is has to do with advancing our students."

Neighbors collaborating

Such a partnership was not unexpected as Stark State opened a campus this fall in the University of Akron’s backyard.

As UA and Stark State officials spoke, a big window in the room provided a view of downtown Akron and the edge of the UA campus.

After the event, Green said UA’s College of Applied Science and Technology — which houses UA’s two-year degree programs — may see some short-term decline in enrollment as a result of the agreement.

He noted the college has been moving to offering more four-year degrees, and the university is getting rid of some of its associate degrees because Stark State offers similar programs.

The associate degrees that will be cut are among 80 degree programs that UA plans to phase out over three to five years.

Green and Jones said they envision Direct Connect ultimately helping to attract students to both institutions.

The University of Akron, with roughly 20,500 students, has faced budget gaps primarily due to enrollment declines and a debt-financed building boom a decade or so ago.

Stark State has long had degree transfer — articulation — agreements with UA, as well as other schools.

Direct Connect is a more purposeful, streamlined effort that takes the confusion and hassle out of transferring, officials said Friday morning.

"I challenge any of us," Jones said to the audience gathered Friday, "to take a look at those articulation (transfer) agreements and see if they make any sense whatsoever. They are complicated. Very, very complicated."

Currently, about 100 students on UA’s campus have transferred from Stark State.

About 1,500 students are enrolled at the new Stark State College Akron, on 13 acres at Perkins and Union streets downtown. That’s more students than were expected.

Stark State officials have said they decided to open a campus in Akron because about a third of its students live in Summit County. The school also wanted to capture an untapped market. Akron was the largest city in Ohio without a traditional community college.

Katie Byard can be reached at 330-996-3781 or kbyard@thebeaconjournal.com. You can follow her @KatieByardABJ on Twitter or on Facebook at www.facebook.com.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.